roseybot's review against another edition
3.0
If you had asked me half way through this book I would have said this was easily a four. Sadly the second half of the book went well off the rails.
Not only was there a plot via not telling each other things, Alex and Sophie never dealt with the high handed way he orders her about, which even Sophie found irritating.
That said, I feel I could try another of her books — maybe it’s just this couple that caused me a lot of side eye.
Not only was there a plot via not telling each other things, Alex and Sophie never dealt with the high handed way he orders her about, which even Sophie found irritating.
That said, I feel I could try another of her books — maybe it’s just this couple that caused me a lot of side eye.
sarm's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
saltycaroline's review against another edition
3.0
They're both spies, and one is spying on the other, and neither knows that the other is a spy, and somehow with all of that I was still lowkey bored
CW: Sexual content, violence, kidnapping
CW: Sexual content, violence, kidnapping
freemajo's review
3.0
Romance tropes: spy, orphan, alpha hero, kidnapped
I’ve already forgotten their names. H is a duke/spy and h is a 24 year old lady who was raised abroad with her adventurer father outside of proper society. They both think they’re spying on each other for the crown, and they have an insta-lust connection. H is all “I’m never gonna marry because I’m a man blah blah come make out with me” and then doesn’t understand why she’s mad at him. There’s a big misunderstanding and a lot of the problems could have been solved by talking about it like adults.
I never believed the romance between them, and the story kept dragging on.
I’ve already forgotten their names. H is a duke/spy and h is a 24 year old lady who was raised abroad with her adventurer father outside of proper society. They both think they’re spying on each other for the crown, and they have an insta-lust connection. H is all “I’m never gonna marry because I’m a man blah blah come make out with me” and then doesn’t understand why she’s mad at him. There’s a big misunderstanding and a lot of the problems could have been solved by talking about it like adults.
I never believed the romance between them, and the story kept dragging on.
bettybumpkins's review against another edition
adventurous
lighthearted
mysterious
3.0
I wanted to enjoy this book as I really liked the characters. But the plot and choices made by the MCs was a no. By the end the "twist" just fell flat for me.
nononanette's review against another edition
3.0
very clever dialogue and great characters. a light recency romp. plot is a bit convoluted. overall i got a bit bored. not sure why. the characters could have used more depth and less bouncing off of one another.
reginaexmachina's review against another edition
There was nothing distinctly bad about this book, I mean it must have gotten so many high ratings for a reason. However for me it was just that after a while I realized that I didn't really care what happened at the end of the book. Whatever it was, it just didn't really grab me.
sans's review
5.0
This is the kind of book I love. A total riot. I loved the characters, the action, all of it. It reminded me a lot of Charade with Cary Grant and Audrey Hepburn (only one of the best films EVER) but set in Regency London (er, and without anyone actually getting killed). I was laughing out loud several times, especially at Alex's thoughts/internal dialogue. The dialogue was brilliant. Light-hearted but not overly fluffy. I hope the rest of her books are just as good.
kristenwestfall's review
2.0
I wanted this book to be so much more than it was. I'm exhausted by heroines that lose all sense of self reliance and preservation when in love. 2.5, rounded down because I'm so irritated right now.
joreadsromance's review
3.0
Readable but with some flaws
3 stars
Returning from a life of adventure and travel, Miss Sophie Everton is surprised to find she's been recruited as a spy for the Prince Regent. Despite having trouble adapting to the life of the ton, she accepts in order to save her family home.
Alex, the dashing Duke of Rockeforte and agent for the War Office, has been asked to keep an eye on Sophie but can't seem to do so without finding ways to kiss her. So it's no wonder that neither realise that danger lurks just around the corner.
This is the first book in Johnson's Providence series and is followed by [b:Tempting Fate|5107164|Tempting Fate (Providence, #2)|Alissa Johnson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347576593l/5107164._SY75_.jpg|5173929], [b:McAlistair's Fortune|6343698|McAlistair's Fortune (Providence, #3)|Alissa Johnson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347741447l/6343698._SY75_.jpg|6529883] and [b:Destined to Last|7549599|Destined to Last (Providence, #4)|Alissa Johnson|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1347744123l/7549599._SY75_.jpg|9841877]. The characters all feature in each novel but having read the books out of order myself, I can't say that they need to be read in order to be enjoyed and understood.
For some reason I just couldn't get engrossed in this book. That might explain why all the intrigue and subterfuge had me baffled at times. The plot, or at least the machinations of the characters to create the plot, was a tad ridiculous although I'm sure not meant to be taken seriously. Sophie and Alex were likeable characters but I could really have done with a little more depth and chemistry between them. The book definitely got more interesting as I kept reading and I'm glad I stuck with it as I really liked the group of characters introduced.
Unfortunately I have to mention a huge drawback to this book and that's the horrific amount of Americanisms contained. Normally you'll find one or two in a book of this sort but there were so many that I was cringing at times as I read.
Having said all that, this is a light, likeable enough read that is worth a go if it's sitting in your bookshelf. I'm still looking forward to reading the rest of the books in the series and will probably look out for other books by [a:Alissa Johnson|1983627|Alissa Johnson|https://images.gr-assets.com/authors/1445362056p2/1983627.jpg] in the future. 3 stars.
